2009 Summer Conference Events
Opening Ceremony
Welcome to IMUSE! This ceremony, which features a keynote address by Jet Li, is intended to be the introduction for our two-week long conference. It should provide an opportunity for delegates to meet each other, and to get an overview of the events that are to come.
Trip: Scavenger Hunt
Our delegates will break into small groups and roam Beijing for an afternoon, looking for curious odds and pieces...
Event: Teahouse Talk
As the mission of IMUSE and the conference is to deepen mutual understanding, there are few better ways to do that than informal conversation with snacks and tea. We will rent out a nearby teahouse, break into small groups, and engage in informal chatter!
Cultural Memes
A discussion of important memes in Chinese culture and a comparison to what our American delegates experience.
From Wall Street to China: The Global Economic Crisis
The global economic crisis has affected all the world's economies, and China is no exception. We will hear from experts about how the economic crisis has impacted the Chinese economy, how the Chinese government and private companies have responded, and what the current and future impact on the Chinese economy and society will be.
Simulation: Business Case
What does it take to run a successful business in China? When the Chinese economy was growing at a breakneck pace of over 10% a year, ambitious entrepreneurs both within and without China flocked to set up shop in China to make a fortune. Yet even before the onset of the economic downturn, there were thousands of such companies that went bankrupt every year. In this interactive exercise, each small group will be in charge of developing the best type of business and the best business model to fit a niche in the Beijing market based on demographic, economic, regulatory, ecologic, and infrastructural factors, as well as some unforeseen surprises, led by a couple of our resident consultants.
Environmental Problems
China's explosive economic growth has brought the problems of environmental safety and responsibility to the forefront of global issues.
Karaoke
We will rent out a Karaoke hall and let the Delegates go wild with American hits and Chinese classics!
Overnight Trip: Great Wall
After our trek to the Great Wall, we will be spending the rest of the day and the night at a rural village nearby in SiMaTai, where you can interact with the local townspeople, gather food in the mountains, and get a first-hand exposure to a rural village. Things to keep in mind are, how is this village different from the city? To what extent is this village typical of rural villages in China? What impact does tourism have on rural areas?
Talk: Minority Groups and Race
China prides itself on having 56 ethnicities. The United States prides itself on being the melting pot/salad bowl of ethnicities. Yet both countries have had long-standing issues with minority and race relations. In this session we will go beyond a surface-level discourse focusing on oppression or border areas that is prevalent in the media and try to delve deeper into how race and ethnicity plays out in day-to-day settings in settings close to home such as the university campus. To facilitate this discussion, we will hear from Chinese college students from minority groups to hear about their experiences and opinions, to be followed by a comparative discussion with race relations in the United States.
Olympics, a Review
Get a chance to interact with student volunteers from the 2008 Beijing Olympics! Ask them about their experiences volunteering in the Olympics and reflect on Mr. Zhang Yi Mou’s presentation.
The run-up to the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympic was fraught with controversy and tension, with the world's attention intensely focused on China with a plethora of analyses and predictions about the impact of the Olympics on China. Yet after the Olympic torch was extinguished, it seems that much of the attention has subsided. How has life in Beijing and the rest of China changed since August 2008? How is Beijing coping with the remains of the Olympics? How are Chinese remembering and evaluating the Olympics? We will first hear from a speaker who was deeply involved with BOCOG (Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games), to be followed by a round-table discussion over lunch.
Trip: Olympic Facilities - Bird's Nest, Water Cube, Olympic Green
The 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics was a monumental event for the city of Beijing and China. The Olympics itself happened in the stadiums of the Olympic Green. We will be taking a tour of these new national symbols of China to frame our discussions about the impact of the Olympics one year after the event, as well as to appreciate technological achievement and innovative architecture.
Trip: Area 798 Arts Exhibits
This will be an opportunity to take a look at what the art-collecting culture in China is like, the art trends that are popular in China , as well as the contemporary Chinese art movement. We will be given a guided tour of a gallery as well.
Chinese Eqituette Dinner with local host families
In China, a lot of business gets done over meals. In these formal meals, there are both written and unwritten rules governing appropriate behavior at meals. At this dinner, we will enjoy a formal dinner at a classy Chinese restaurant while learning the various do's and don'ts of Chinese dining etiquette.
Career Panel
A discussion of career opportunities in China.
Networking Lunch
Our Delegates will connect with representatives from local organizations and businesses. Fields include finance, banking, consulting, medicine, entrepreneurship, government and nonprofits.
Simulation: Political
An experience similar to Model UN where delegates represent different groups of interest and debate over a relevant issue (ex: Chinese government may put some limit on factory pollution. Groups may be small firms, large corporations, environmental interest group, consumers, government, maybe even foreign trading partners).
American Etiquette Dinner
Ever wondered why up-scale Western restaurants have so many sets of utensils or whether the glass on your left or your right is yours? We will find out when we get a crash course in Western formal dining etiquette at a nice restaurant with delicious food. This will come in handy since not all Americans are cowboys who have no regard for formalities.
Media Portrayals of Chinese and American Culture
From News sources to Hollywood, how do media impressions stack up against facts? Delegates will present video clips and other material to generate discussion.
Human Rights in US/China
One of the most contentious issues in U.S.-China relations has been the issue of human rights in China, yet there is a great amount of misunderstanding of what each side means by human rights. The simple dichotomy is that the Chinese government emphasizes raising people out of poverty as a improvement in human rights while the American government does not recognize that as a human rights improvement and focuses on political rights. After hearing from an expert about the topic, we will broach this sensitive topic in a respectful manner so that we understand everyone's positions.
Beijing Opera
The Arts Group of Beijing University will perform Beijing Opera, then give the delegates a rundown of the history of Opera in China and an actual private lesson on its techniques!
Love and SEX
Discussing these intimate topics among their new friends, our Delegates surprised each other - and themselves!
IMUSE Formal (black tie)
Because our Delegates are just too classy!
Dumpling Making Lunch with community of disabled
Dumplings (jiaozi) are one of the many delectable Chinese foods, and on top of that they are easy to make. We will engage in making (and eating) dumplings with the Community of the Mentally Disabled, an nonprofit organization. This will help us better understand the state of nonprofit organizations today, in mental health organizations in particular.
Trip: Migrant Children's School
In collaboration with a group named Building Bridge, we will be visiting a school for migrant children an hour outside of Beijing. Schools like this one allow migrant children to receive an education when their parents travel to the big cities to work. We will set up games and play with these children for a few hours, followed by some discussion and dinner with the Building Bridge volunteers.
Discussion: Fashion in China
An opportunity to look at the growing fashion industry in China, this event will allow delegates to hear from several Chinese fashion experts from different fields. It will be an interactive and visual experience, with some of the panelists showcasing displays.
Event: Talent Show
It is now time to say goodbye! This event will provide a closure to the two-week long program by allowing the delegates and the staff to participate in a talent show that they have prepared over the course of the IMUSE - held at the WenJin Hotel.
